1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a molded resin and to a method of manufacturing the device.
2. Background Art
Some semiconductor devices include an element, or component, formed on a substrate, and a molded resin covering both the substrate and the element. The molded resin serves to protect the element from external moisture and foreign matter. It should be noted that the molded resin covering the substrate and the element typically extends over the nitride film formed on the substrate or the element, which film serves as a surface protective film. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-310508 discloses a semiconductor device including a molded resin over such a nitride film. In this case, the molded resin is preferably in close contact with the nitride film so that there is no space between them.
Nitride films are widely used as surface protective films, since they have superior moisture resistance and mechanical strength. It has been found, however, that since nitride films have high residual tensile stress, the molded resin, if any, covering the films may peel off.